Abstract
Terrestrial lidar scanning (TLS) has become a widely accepted expert tool for monitoring geohazards on bare or sparsely vegetated slopes through change detection. While trees can be an important indicator of landslide activity at a slope, vegetation is often removed or ignored when monitoring landslides with TLS. This paper explores the use of multi-temporal terrestrial lidar scanning at a slope in the Peace River valley of British Columbia to test the author’s hypothesis that tree stems in TLS data can be used to track landslide displacement and provide insight into the landslide mechanism. Six TLS datasets, each collected approximately 6 months apart, are used, and roto-translation methods are employed to determine the azimuth, plunge, and toppling angle of trees between each TLS scan. The tree displacement patterns are compared to TLS change detection results on bare-ground, and to single-point tracking techniques for extracting displacement vectors. Considerations for future applications are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge our colleagues Siobhan Whadcoat, Scott McDougall, and Emily Rowe for their support in data collection and in providing review of the methods employed and results of this study.
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van Veen, M., Porter, M., Lato, M. et al. Using tree stems in multi-temporal terrestrial lidar scanning data to monitor landslides on vegetated slopes. Landslides 19, 829–840 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01815-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01815-1